


Try to Understand

by Wishful86



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Assumptions, Biphobia, Boyfriends, Gen, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Stereotypes, Support, Talking, friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-11
Updated: 2017-05-11
Packaged: 2018-10-30 15:49:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10879998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wishful86/pseuds/Wishful86
Summary: Robert doesn't react well when someone assumes he is gay. Adam has a few words for him.Hope you enjoy.





	Try to Understand

**Author's Note:**

> I found this on my computer. Heck knows when I wrote it (sometime before I started disliking Finn) but I thought I'd post it...

Robert was finishing up talking to his new business contact when Finn and Adam came into the pub.

“Right, well,” Mr Parkinson said, shaking Robert’s hand, “It was a pleasure to meet you. And I hope to see you at the annual dinner?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Robert nodded, “Can’t believe it is being held at the Headquarters. Even my boyfriend is looking forward to this one.”

“Oh,” Mr Parkinson’s eyebrows rose, “I didn’t know you were gay?” Robert flinched and Mr. Parkinson looked embarrassed and began rambling, “Not that that’s a problem. Sorry, I’ll shut-up. My daughter always tells me, I shouldn’t- anyway, Robert, it was a pleasure to meet you. I’ll see you.”

He made a hasty exit and Robert heard Finn laugh beside him, “Always find it kind of funny when people put their foot in it.”

Adam laughed too but seeing the grimace on Robert’s face, he stopped, “Robert, mate, I don’t think he meant to-"

“Why do people always assume that I’m gay?” Robert said, growing frustrated. 

“Erm…because you have a boyfriend,” Finn shrugged. 

Robert turned to him and with undisguised disgust spat, “Doesn’t automatically make me one of you though, does it?”

Finn snorted darkly, “Wow. ‘One of you’? Nice, Robert. Does Aaron know you’re a little bit homophobic?” he turned to Adam, “I’m going to go and find Ross.”

When he’d walked away, Adam gave Robert a whack on the shoulder, “Mate, what the hell was that?!”

Robert huffed and threw his hands up, “I just don’t get why people need to go around making assumptions.”

“Right,” Adam stated and then he pulled a reluctant Robert towards an empty booth.

“Adam, I don’t need a lecture,” Robert rolled his eyes, “And I’ll apologise to Finn, if I have to.”

“If you have to?” Adam raised his eyes to the heavens, “Robert, you don’t half make things difficult.”

“I don’t get why you are having a go?” Robert hissed across the table, “Is it wrong that I want to be thought of as bisexual, when, you know, that is what I am?”

“No,” Adam said firmly, “No, it’s not. You have every right to be proud of who you are.”

“So, we’re done then?” Robert started, getting out of his seat but Adam pulled him back down. 

“Adam,” Robert practically growled, but after trying to out-glare at his boyfriend’s best mate, he realised that it would probably be better to just ride with the conversation rather than have Aaron hear about any hostility later. 

“You say it’s wrong for people to make assumptions?” Adam asked him when they had both settled back in the booth.

“Yeah,” Robert said, like it was obvious. 

“Ok,” Adam started to smile, “What did you first think when you saw me and Aaron together?”

“That you were mates,” Robert shrugged.

Adam shuck is head and laughed lightly, “No, you didn’t. mate, Vic told me that you thought I was his boyfriend.”

“You were close,” Robert pointed out. 

“Because, God forbid a straight guy be close to his gay best mate?” Adam levelled, enjoying seeing realisation dawn Robert’s face. 

“Ok, so I made an assumption,” Robert admitted, becoming uncomfortable.

“Did it cross your mind at any point that either of us could be bisexual?”

Robert blinked, “No…but Aaron had already told me he was gay.”

“After assuming he was straight.”

“I never assumed-"

“You thought he was flirting with Chrissie,” Adam interrupted with a smirk, “Which, by the way, is hilarious, mate.”

Robert narrowed his eyes and sat back, “Adam, what’s your point?”

“My point,” Adam said, leaning forward, “Is that rightly or wrongly we all make assumptions, Robert. Even you. And think how Aaron would feel if I got all offended each time someone wrongly thinks I am his boyfriend? If I took being thought of as gay as an insult? Yeah, it isn’t great that the guy made an assumption, Robert, but your reaction is a problem too.”

And it is a problem. Robert knew it. It felt like Adam had just punched him in the chest. He looked down at the table, at a loss of what to say. 

“Look, mate, I can’t pretend to know what it feels like,” Adam’s voice was soft, kind, and Robert glanced back up, “But, way back, when me and Aaron first started being mates and he tried to kiss me, I reacted badly. Really badly. I was such an idiot. I tried to out him.”

Robert properly looked up again now, listening to Adam’s every word. This was something he didn’t know about. 

Adam continued, “I really hurt him, Robert. But also, what I didn’t realise is that no-one would believe me. I mean, Aaron couldn’t be gay, right? He was the local teenage thug. Dressed like a chav. People thought I was more gay then he was.”

“Stereotypes,” Robert muttered, feeling annoyed on young Aaron’s behalf.

“Exactly,” Adam pointed at him, “Stereotypes, and they just added to his already messed up head. He found it so difficult to accept who he was. So what I am saying, is that he knows, Robert. He knows how hard this stuff is. You should talk to him.”

“I can’t,” Robert immediately said, closing his eyes briefly, not wanting Adam to see the pain that he felt, “I can’t. Not about being bisexual.”

“You have to give him a proper chance,” Adam started but Robert scoffed, 

“I’m sure he just thinks that I would prefer to be with a woman.”

“And wouldn’t you?” 

The question made Robert freeze. A spike of anger coursing through his veins as he glared at Adam, “Are you serious?”

The younger man didn’t flinch, “Robert, if you act insulted if someone thinks you are gay or,” he gestured towards Finn, who was standing at the bar with his brother, “You insult gay guys, what is Aaron going to think? Would we even be having this conversation if the guy thought you were straight?”

Robert’s shoulders dropped and ran a hand down his face. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again, “It’s not easy, Adam.”

“I know. And I also know that there is so much more to it,” Adam reached across the table and put a hand on Robert’s shoulder, “You are a complex man, Robert, and you are with a guy who has... issues; it was never going to be easy.” 

Robert briefly glanced at the hand on his shoulder and bobbed his head, feeling oddly comforted. 

“Won’t make it any easier if you don’t try to understand each other though,” Adam said, removing his hand and grinning, “Vic always says, you need your heads banging together.”

That made Robert smile. Good old, Vic. He took at breath and then looked across at Adam, considering. After a few seconds, he smirked, “You know, Adam, I used to always assume that you were stupid.”

Adam’s hearty laugh rang out in the pub.


End file.
